The most successful managers in fantasy hockey don’t just draft well, but they also pay attention to the schedule of every NHL team on a weekly basis. Listed below are three teams that fantasy owners should keep in mind this season, as utilizing their players during four-game weeks or off-nights could lead to early dominance.
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Best NHL Schedules for Fantasy Hockey
Pittsburgh Penguins
This year, the Penguins will play on back-to-back nights on 15 different occasions, more than any team in the NHL. This immediately makes Arturs Silovs and Sergei Murashov an attractive tandem coming into this year, but also provides value to Pittsburgh’s depth players in deeper leagues. In addition to the most back-to-back games this season, the Penguins are tied for the third-most four-game weeks this year. 40% of Pittsburgh’s games will also take place on off-nights, which are days with fewer NHL games. Four-game weeks and a large number of off-night games give managers every reason to target Penguins players in the draft this year, as they won’t struggle to fit in your lineup.
Seattle Kraken
With the Kraken having one of the least rostered teams in fantasy hockey, managers should take advantage of their schedule. This year, Seattle has the most four-game weeks with 11, along with 13 back-to-backs. Outside of Vince Dunn and Brandon Montour, much of the Kraken’s offense should be available in standard leagues.
Players such as Bobby McMahon, Matty Beniers, and Jordan Eberle are all capable of scoring 20-plus goals and can contribute to offensive categories in weeks where Seattle plays four games. Additionally, managers shouldn’t overlook the tandem of Joey Daccord and Philip Grubauer, who will look to improve upon their combined .902 save percentage from last year.
Washington Capitals
Arguably the strongest team with the best fantasy hockey schedule is the Capitals, who will look to dominate their competition on the most off-nights in the NHL. There should be no issues trying to fit Caps players into your lineup, as nearly 50% of Washington’s games are on the least-busiest hockey nights of the year.
Coming into this season, the Capitals also have 14 back-to-backs and seven four-game weeks, making them one of the top options to stream players from due to the strength of their roster and schedule flexibility.
Every Monday at the start of a new fantasy week, I would suggest that managers take a look at the waiver wire for any players that are on the three teams mentioned above. Oftentimes, fantasy owners will pick up a player who has some name value, but they won’t contribute to success if they play three or fewer games that week, or have been scheduled on busier nights. Going forward, the Penguins, Kraken or Capitals should all take priority when it comes to winning the free agent market.
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